


Take Me Back In Time To Love You

by GoneWithTheAshes



Category: Spies Are Forever - Talkfine/Tin Can Brothers
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Death, M/M, Self-Harm, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:40:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23715313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoneWithTheAshes/pseuds/GoneWithTheAshes
Summary: Six long years after he killed the man he fell in love with Curt Mega has finally taken down the last of the organiztion that corrupted Owen. But now he has nothing left to live for. Unless....what if he could have a second chance? Could he change the world for the better? Or plunge it into an even deeper darkness than his mind has ever known?
Relationships: Owen Carvour/Agent Curt Mega
Comments: 28
Kudos: 81





	1. The End and The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> I have had this idea rattling around inside my head for a while and it is finally coming out onto the page, or screen as it were. I was suprised at the lack of time travel fix-its for SAF and thought I would try my hand at one. Hopefully some people out there will enjoy it!
> 
> Title obviously taken from the song 'Take Me Back' in Starkid's latest musical 'Black Friday'.

It all began with a bang. 

Watching Owen drop off those damn stairs for the second time. Knowing this time for sure that he was dead. Curt was never one to miss his shot. He stood there. He wasn’t sure how long. Hand and gun still raised. Even as his arms and legs began to ache.

Finally he descended the stairs and approached Owen’s body. He took off his jacket and covered Owen’s head with it. He felt like a coward, but he couldn’t bear to look at what he had done. He scooped up Owen’s body, absently noting that it felt lighter than it used to, and carried it out. 

He refused to leave his partner there to rot. 

There were only two people who attended the funeral he had for Owen. Himself and Tatiana. He didn’t know how she had found him. Or how she had known he would need a casket. Or how she had even acquired a casket. But he didn’t need to know. He was just glad for the support and the help with digging.

It took a lot longer than it should have. He had to keep stopping. To sob. To clutch on to Owen’s body like if he just hugged hard enough his partner would come back. To throw up a few times. Tatiana ended up doing the majority of the digging if he is completely honest. He tried to apologize for it but she had waved him off. 

He had been the one to open the casket and gently place Owen’s body inside. He finally removed the jacket off of his face. He had to turn around instantly at the sight so he threw up on the ground and not on his dead lover. He stood back up and steeled himself to look again. Tears streamed down his face as he made sure Owen was settled comfortably, he knew Owen technically couldn’t feel it but it mattered to him. 

He hesitated to close the lid when he was done. It was stupid but it felt like once the lid was closed that would be it. It would be final. Owen would really be gone. As if he wasn’t already gone. Still Curt hesitated. He was avoiding looking at Owen’s face when he noticed it. A thin chain adorning his neck. He absent-mindedly pulled it up and froze. 

There in the center of the metal was a ring. A simple metal band. One that matched the one on Curt’s hand. Not worn on the finger he wished it to be on for safety. But he knew the meaning of it.

Why did Owen still have his? He couldn’t help but wonder. Did he still have feelings for Curt deep, deep down? Did he keep it to remind himself of his anger? Was he so brainwashed that he had forgotten what it even meant? Curt supposed he would never know now.

Curt worked his own ring off his finger, he somehow felt bare without it. But still he unlatched the chain and slipped it on to rest beside it’s match. Despite the loss he felt without the ring on his finger, it felt right. That the rings should be together. 

Buried together. 

It took all of his willpower not to climb into the casket too. Tell Tatiana to bury them both, not that she would. To curl up against Owen until he suffocated under the ground. But he couldn’t do that. He still had a job to do. 

He shut the lid with a resounding click. 

He didn’t speak over the casket once they had lowered it down. He didn’t think he could. He knew that later, when he was buzzed and they were alone in whatever hotel they could find he would tell stories to Tatiana for hours, and like the amazing friend she was, she would listen. 

He also felt guilty for the fact that she had to pile all the dirt on the grave for him, he broke down every time he tried. Instead he looked around for a nice rock. He couldn’t make a traditional grave but there should be something here. To mark the spot where the love of his life rested.

He thought it would be harder to leave the spot behind, in the end he couldn’t wait to get away from the pile of slightly uneven dirt and the cold slab of granite on top of it. Even if it felt like a piece of his soul refused to come with him. 

Tatiana sighed but relented when he asked her to stop at the first bar he saw. 

It takes six very long years to take down Chimera. 

Six year that passed by in a blur of drinking, crying, and destroying Chimera. One tiny crumb at a time. The collection of scars on his skin grew exponentially in that time. Most from getaways that were too close for comfort and agents of Chimera that managed to get a shot in before he killed them. A fair few though, he was ashamed to admit, he had given himself. 

Chimera had turned out to be more extensive and complex than he ever imagined. He wondered if Owen had known just how much there was to them. For the first year at least it had seemed that no matter how many victories he had he didn’t even make a dent in the whole. 

He had lost count of the number of times he almost gave it up. Almost abandoned this, his final mission. But then he would have another nightmare. See his bullet bury itself in his love’s skull playing out behind his eyes. And he pushed on.

Barb had been incredible. Without her building and sneaking him gadgets he never would have lasted so long. She had built him a mask, like Owen’s. But one with the ability to shift. The features could be easily modified. So he could truly become anyone. He hated it. But it was needed, just like everything else she had sent to him in unmarked boxes or dead dropped at various inconspicuous locations. 

Tatiana too had been a godsend. He would never know how she figured out the information he had specifically avoided telling her. That Chimera was not destroyed. That there was more to this organization than they had thought. All he knows is that three self appointed missions in, he had ended up on the wrong side of a Chimera agent’s rifle and she had saved his ass, as usual. 

She didn’t stay with him all of the time. Left for periods, to visit her family. Sometimes she dragged him along. Forced him to take a break. He liked her family well enough. And they seemed to like him, though he wondered sometimes if it was only because he’d helped in them being able to reconnect with Tatiana. In any case her parents were kind and warm and welcoming. Her grandparents were sweet and always had an interesting story to tell. And her two younger brothers, one of which she hadn’t seen since he was a baby and the other she had never even met, were fun to play with. Helped him forget for just a moment.

He visited his own mother frequently at first, then slowly less and less as he got deeper entangled in Chimera’s web as he cut at every strand. She hadn’t understood at first. Why he needed to do this. Why he was so hellbent on destroying every little scrap of Chimera’s network. 

So he’d told her. 

Well more accurately he had broken down on her couch one night, staring at a bottle he couldn’t even bring himself to open with her right upstairs. She had come down at the sound of his sobs, tried to comfort him. And he had broken. Spilled everything. Why he felt he had to do this to avenge Owen. What his partner really meant to him. What he had really lost when Owen died, both times. 

He wasn’t sure how she would react but at that point he wasn’t sure it mattered. He wasn’t sure anything mattered. In any case, she had been as kind and loving as he’d always known his mother to be. Had comforted him. Told him she only wished he hadn’t been afraid to tell her while his partner was still alive and with him. So she could have supported them. Seen them together. 

He told her about the rings. About how he and Owen had unofficially officiated for themselves, alone in an unusually nice hotel room (the agency’s timing for an upgrade to their usual barely livable room could not have been more perfect). She had smiled a watery smile at him, told him she wished she could have seen it, even if she had been the only one there. She asked to see his ring, he had to sadly shake his head and tell her what he had done with it. But he offered to show her the photos they had taken that night and others. He kept them hidden on an encrypted file Owen had shown him how to use.

She fawned over each one as he went through them with her and he told her the stories behind them. He felt more comforted on that night than any other. Finally revealing that important piece of himself to the most important person he had left in his life. Knowing he was still loved by her, that she still thought the world of him. He felt closer to Owen than he had since his death as he recounted stories of his love to his mother. He felt closer to his mother than he could ever remember feeling in his life.

That made losing her hit all the harder. 

It had been just after he had taken down Chimera’s central headquarters. One year before he had finished them off for good. A few of the organization’s leaders escaped. And they had been angry. They had been angry since the moment he had taken down one of their best agents and then started tearing their work apart bit by bit. And they finally had a means of revenge. He wasn’t sure how they found the location of his mother’s safehouse. He only knew what came after.

He had known something terrible must have happened when his former boss showed up at the door of his latest hotel room. He hadn’t seen Cynthia in person since the day he’d resigned. He’d heard from her though, both in signed and unsigned correspondence. 

The letters she signed were all simply her checking in on him in her own way. Most of them along the lines of ‘I don’t give a fuck if you don’t work for me anymore, your dumb ass better still be alive or I will summon you from the goddamn dead just to yell at you and then kill you myself. (:’ He always responded with a witty line of his own that he never would have said to her face, simultaneously taking the chance to sass and let her know he was okay, or as okay as he could be these days.

The unsigned correspondence he had no real proof was Cynthia but he just knew it had to be. He would occasionally receive unmarked brown envelopes with files and information from the agency. All surrounding Chimera. He knew why these were unsigned, deniability. He knew if he was caught with them he would be the one hung out to dry. Luckily, the former ‘Best Spy in America’ knew how to make sure he didn’t get caught. 

He was very grateful for the information though and it warmed his heart more than he thought that Cynthia still clearly cared and wanted to help him despite him no longer working for her. He had chuckled the first time he had received one though, apparently Cynthia had not bought into his retirement as much as he’d thought. It made sense, she knew him better than most, enough to know he was not the type to give up, especially when someone he cared for had been wronged.

Despite both these types of semi-regular correspondence, Cynthia had never shown up to see him in person. Until that day. She had been so stricken too. Looked at him with an unfamiliar amount of empathy in her eyes. She didn’t say a word, just handed him a photograph. 

He nearly fainted at what he saw. HIs mother. In her safe house. A bullet wound in her skull. He wondered if it was coincidence that it seemed to be in the exact same spot he had shot Owen in. Beside her body, on her pristine white kitchen floor, in what looked to be her own blood was a single word. Retaliation. 

He knew who must have done this. He had rushed out the door without a second thought, ready to walk all the way to his mother’s safehouse to check on her. Hoping beyond hope the picture was faked somehow. Cynthia had followed, had pushed him into her car. She drove them both to the airport. She got on a plane to Guadeloupe with him. She covered him as he stormed the safehouse, only to find exactly what he most feared. 

He wasn’t sure how long he sobbed over his mother’s body, completely ignoring the other two bodies on the floor other than to acknowledge they confirmed his theories. Both were Chimera agents. His mother seemed to have gotten them with her meat cleaver before she’d been taken down. He managed a tearful smile at that. HIs mother had always been a fighter, he knows that is where he had gotten it from. 

The only crumb of comfort he takes from the scene is that his mother’s body showed no signs of torture. Her death had been swift. Perhaps they didn’t want to risk losing any more agents after she had gotten the first two. Whatever the case may be he is relieved. Though his mother’s death makes his already hollow soul feel even emptier he is thankful she did not suffer. Who knows what they could have and would have done to her? 

His sobbing only stops when a few Chimera agents burst in, left behind to try to capture him. He doesn’t think he has ever killed with quite the brutality he did on that day. Cynthia had his back of course but she wasn’t even needed. He had taken down the agents fast and hard. 

Cynthia pulled some strings to help him get his mother’s body brought back to America. He was able to give her a nicer funeral than Owen’s. With a few more people in attendance as well. Cynthia had come, as had Susan. Barb came as well, his mother had always liked the inventor and vice versa. She had hugged Curt tightly even as she cried for his mother too. Tatiana came with her family, their safehouse hadn’t been too far from his mother’s and he knew she had visited them quite often. She had said Tatiana’s youngest brother reminded her of Curt when he was a child. 

Curt was already in the process of finding a new and better safehouse for them. Tatiana would not lose her family too. 

Some of the other people in attendance he didn’t fully recognize. People his mother had helped around her community. Played bridge and shuffleboard with. He felt insincere as he thanked them for their condolences, but he knew his mother would want him to be polite. It was something she had always got on him about as a child.

Similar to Owen’s funeral he did not speak over her casket, even though there were plenty of people here to listen. None of them pushed though, for which he was glad. He again knew that later he would tell stories to those he was close with, and they would indulge him. 

He allowed himself a week to come to terms with his mother’s death, then he went after Chimera harder than ever. 

He had destroyed the body of Chimera so to speak. The meat of their organization. But there were still a good handful of little limbs to take care of. Not to mention one or two heads.

That last year he did more than he ever thought himself capable. Ran himself dry. For his mother. For Owen. For himself. Chimera was almost finished. He just had to keep pushing. It didn’t matter the damage he was doing to himself because he had known since he’d buried the love of his life in Russia that once Chimera was gone…

He had gotten captured once in that last year. Coincidentally by the same man who made the plan to kill his mother and fired the shot. A Mr. Jamison Conroy. Or at least that’s what he called himself. He had been sure to give Curt all the gory details of his mother’s murder while he had the former agent at his mercy. Including details of all the things he had planned to do ha she not fought back the way she did. 

Despite the torture and scars he ha recieved Curt was glad he had been captured. Conroy was a bit too arrogant. Kept him alive suffering for a bit too long. And Curt had gotten the chance to painfully end the man who killed his mother.

Conroy had also given him information about Owen, taunted him with it. Details of who exactly was involved in brainwashing his partner. What they had done to him. The lies they had told him. The way he woke up screaming out for Curt for the first few months of them holding him. How much damage he had suffered from his fall and the explosion, and how much more they had heaped on him. 

Names were made into a hit list. Some he had already killed, and he only wished their deaths had been more painful. Others he could still get to. That list kept him going as he finished off the last of Chimera. Until every last agent. Every last facility. Every last safehouse. Every last scrap. Every last memory of them was eradicated. Not even so much as a footnote in history. 

He had achieved ultimate victory. 

The old Curt would have celebrated for a week. The old Curt was as dead as his lover and mother. He had nothing left with Chimera gone. Nothing to live for and no plans to continue trying to live with what he had lost. 

Despite having no desire to celebrate he did arrange a party of sorts. With Barb and Tatiana and her family and Cynthia and Susan. The only people he knew he would miss if his soul was cognizant enough to miss people after he moved on from this world.

He claimed the get together was to celebrate the end of Chimera and to thank them all for the help they had provided in his mission. Truly though he just wanted to see them all one last time. He made sure to spend time with each of them. Gave out hugs, even to Cynthia who threatened to shoot him for assaulting her person even as she hugged him back.

All in all for a last night on Earth it was quite a good one. 

As the night wound down he found himself wanting a gulp of fresh air and stepped outside. He looked up at the stars and smiled as he remembered nights out camping under them with his mother and nights spent gazing up at them with Owen's arm wrapped around him as the British agent explained all the constellations and their stories to him for the fifth time. Owen knew that Curt remembered most of them after the first but he was still happy to tell them again when Curt asked each time they were together. 

He wondered if his mother and Owen could see him now. Could see what he had done in the name of avenging them. He wondered if they were proud. If there was a life after this then he supposed he would be finding out soon. He found himself both excited and apprehensive at the prospect. 

He turned around as the door opened behind him, hand reaching for his gun on instinct despite knowing it had to be one of his party goers. 

Sure enough, Barbra Lavernor stood in the doorway giving him a nervous smile. He smiled back at her and she moved to stand beside him. He put an arm around her, no longer worried he would be leading her on as she had gotten over her crush on him some time ago or at least accepted it could never be returned when she had discovered his preferences a couple years back. She never had told him exactly what had given him away when she had confronted him over it. And she never mentioned Owen so he wasn’t sure she knew about them. He suspected that she suspected his relationship to Owen was more than professional or friendly sometimes though.

He had been surprised with how accepting and supportive she had been about it. He supposes a part of him always thought she only cared for him due to her attraction to him, hence why he didn’t shut her down as hard as he could have. It was nice to feel cared for. But as it turns out he had underestimated the bubbly scientist, her care clearly went deeper than a mere crush could account for. She was about to prove that again right now as it happened.

They stood in silence for a few minutes before Barb spoke up. “I don’t want you to kill yourself Curt.” He was a bit taken aback by her bluntness but decided to be honest about it. “I know you don’t, Barb. But I just cant….I have nothing left to live for. I have lost so much. Too much. You know I care about you, and everyone else inside that room. But you and them are literally all I have in this world and I am sorry but that is just not enough.”

Barb sighed deeply and nodded with an odd look of not resignation but determination. “I know. That is why I am going to give you something to live for. It’s an idea I’ve had for years but only recently did I figure out a way I think I can make it happen. I just need you to hold on for a little longer Curt, a month or two. Let me perfect it.” Curt had no idea what Barb was talking about and was about to say as much when she continued on. “It will be dangerous. And difficult. And maybe wrong. But it is the only way to save you…. and you know I would do anything for you.” The words were said almost wryly with a matching smile.

Curt hated to burst Barb’s bubble but he had to say his thoughts aloud. “Barb, unless you can bring my mother and Owen back from the dead then I don’t think there is anything you can do to save me.” He informed her solemnly. Instead of her bright eyes dimming as he expected though they seemed to brighten. 

“ I can. That’s what I am saying.” Curt looked at her with disbelief. “You can bring people back from the dead?” He asked slowly. “Yes! Well no...not exactly. I don’t think I can bring them back but I think I can bring us back.” Barb rambled excitedly. “Bring us back? We aren’t dead Barb. At least I’m not yet and you shouldn’t be for a very long time. How can you bring us back from the dead?” Barb rolled her eyes fondly at his clear confusion and took his hand as she turned to look at him straight in the eyes.

“Not back from the dead Curt, I think I can bring us back to 1957.”


	2. Doing the Time Warp

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a bit longer than I thought it would but between illness and work I have been busy. Also I apologize for glossing over exactly how this time travel works, I am not great with psuedo-science. I hope you can forgive me. This chapter has a good amount of fluff so hopefully that makes up for it. Hope you enjoy!

The last six years have felt like the slowest in Curt’s whole life, yet somehow the next six months passed even slower.

That’s how long it takes for Barb to get her….experiment up and running. Longer than she had originally intended, but she had insisted she needed to get it just right. It was hard. Curt hadn’t expected to be alive at this point and was somewhat stuck in a rut. Cynthia had offered him a stray mission or two but they didn’t hold the same appeal anymore. And he didn’t want to risk getting himself killed before they could go back.

Cynthia knew they were up to something, he could tell. However she had seemed to figure out that they weren’t going to tell her and she shouldn’t ask. It’s not that they wouldn’t appreciate her help, but she did have responsibilities as the leader of the American intelligence community, and what they were doing….well...no government would sanction it.

It was dangerous, messing with the timeline. Risky in the extreme. Barb had gone over the many risks involved and horrible outcomes that could occur with him at length. Maybe it was selfish but he didn’t care. If he had a chance to save his love and his mom then he would risk everything. 

Barb understood that so was hard at work perfecting her device to make the risks as minimal as possible. They had at first intended to be the only two to know about this, the less people that knew the better, Barb had said. That had lasted all of a week. Tatiana could tell something was going on, he knew she had been well aware of his suicidal intent even if he had never directly told her. She was clearly relieved he was still alive, but knew something must have happened. And with him and Barb meeting to discuss so often it was not hard to figure out who else was involved. After that all she had to do was approach Curt with her observations, his friend had ways of getting Curt to open up like no one else. 

Thus a third had been brought into their operation. Tatiana was wary but supportive and spent days with Curt strategizing on exactly what they would do and how once they got back to the past while Barb toiled away on her invention. Hundreds upon hundreds of ideas and plans were made. Most of them scrapped. Both spies knew that their actions would have to depend on what happened due to the changes they caused, they would mostly have to follow Curt’s typical plan of just winging it, but they had managed to make an outline at least. Given themselves some direction. And it kept them busy.

When they weren’t planning, Tatiana was spending time with her family. Helping them again would of course be a top priority once they were back in ‘57. Tatiana was never going to get beholden to singing Nazis this time around. Which was a good thing for many reasons, not the least of which was they would need her help.

The rough outline they had as of now was to go back in time far enough to save Owen. Help Tatiana’s family to safety and somehow explain her and their connection to her to Cynthia (they had a few ideas for that). Make sure Curt’s mother was moved to a new and even more secure safehouse so it can’t get discovered again (and find another safehouse near it for Tatiana’s family). Re-take down Chimera, one piece at a time, all over again. They were hoping it would be a bit easier the second time around. And finally to somehow get the director of MI-6 to assign Owen to help them with the Chimera case so Curt could keep a close eye on him. 

First they had to make it back in the first place, which was finally happening after half a year. The machine itself had been finished for a month now. The problem Barb had come across was ensuring the three of them kept their memories as time turned back. Just being in the machine wasn’t enough apparently. That would simply send their bodies back,meaning there would be two of each of them. Barb had said essentially it was their consciousness alone they were sending back. Their minds of the future merging with their bodies of the past.

The final machine that she had finished one month ago would turn back the clock but they would be as ignorant to it as everyone else. Meaning they…...he….would just end up making the same mistakes. This obviously would not do so Barb had set to work on a way to ground their minds as time reversed. And she had found it. A serum.

Curt had not even tried to understand how said serum worked. Barb had technically explained it to him but he had only understood approximately one out of every seven words. What he did understand was that his mind merging with his past mind, allowed for by the serum, was apparently going to hurt like a bitch. He was not looking forward to that. But any amount of pain would be worth it if this worked.

Barb had also explained to him the serum had another purpose. As it targeted the part of their brains that held their memories, allowing them to keep them, it would also target another part of the brain that would prevent them from being able to talk about a specific memory. Specifically it would prevent them from being able to tell anyone about time travel. It was a safety measure, Barb had explained. What they were doing was beyond dangerous but there were many who would attempt it as well if they knew it was possible. This would stop that information from getting out, no matter how much they were tortured or coerced, they wouldn’t be able to reveal any information on time travel and most especially how it was done. The secret would have to die with them. Curt and Tatiana both understood the reasons for this and agreed to it.

Everything was set to go right at six months after the night Curt had originally planned to depart the world. Barb had done as much testing as she could. Though they hadn’t gone back further than a week for the testing. Couldn’t. It would take too long to catch up. So they could only hope the machine worked just as well with years as it did with days.

They met at two am, at the hidden lab Barb had been working in. It was technically an agency lab but it hadn’t been used in years. And Cynthia just so happened to overlook the sudden spike in electricity bills there. They didn’t meet at two am for any covert reasons, more for the fact that they’d been up all last night performing a final test and checking over everything so they’d all wanted to sleep for the day. None of them wanted to show up in the past exhausted.

It almost seemed anticlimactic. It was all over within a few minutes. Barb started the machine up before injecting them all with the proper doses of the serum. They stood, rather cramped, inside of the machine as Barb messed with the controls, setting them he assumed. The last thing he remembers before the rush and pain hit was Barb giving him and Tatiana an encouraging smile as she hit a blue button.

He thought he had been prepared for the pain after all the tests they had done. But those were nothing compared to now. He supposed that made sense considering how much further they were going back. Or he would suppose that later, right now all he could think about was every single nerve in his body feeling like they had been set aflame as someone tried to hack open his skull with a saw while drowning him in acid. He is trying to fight his way through it so he can see his surroundings, see if it worked, but his senses are too overwhelmed with pure agony to register anything else.

The first thing his senses do take in as the pain finally starts to subside is the sound of screaming and he distantly knows it is leaving his own mouth. 

The second thing they register is a gunshot. 

He struggles as hard as he can to thrust his eyes open. To become present. They knew there was a chance this could happen, that one of them would be sent back into the middle of a dangerous situation. Barb couldn’t pinpoint an exact time, just a general one. They had known this was a risk. Especially for Curt and Tatiana who spent half their lives in situations like these. He needed to brush off the pain as quickly as possible so he could figure out where and when he was and what he needed to do to protect himself.

He did not come all the way back in time to die before he even opened his eyes. 

He tried to steady his breath and take in all the information he could. He was sitting down. His hands were tied behind his back, not good. He couldn’t feel any wounds on himself so that was something at least. He had heard a single gunshot and a thump that indicated a body had dropped. That meant he was in the room with at least one shooter and no idea which side said shooter was o-

His thoughts cut off as he feels a hand gently rest on his arm. 

“Curt? It’s Owen. Can you hear me? I’m so sorry. I didn’t think he could actually hurt you. You’re safe now. Where are you hurting?”

His mind froze at the familiar voice, barely daring to believe it. 

“Love, are you okay? Can you respond? Oh, here.” He feels hands reach around him and untie his own. “There you go. Can you stand?” A hand takes one of his and starts tugging him slowly up. He stands and finally manages to wrench his eyes open. 

He almost falls right back down at seeing his very alive lover staring at him with care and concern in his eyes, something he hasn’t seen for over a decade. Owen smiles at him when he notices Curt’s eyes have opened, another thing he hadn’t seen in so long. “There you are. Are you feeling bet-”

Curt interrupted his partner by very forcefully latching himself onto Owen’s waist and squeezing him firmly, his head resting against the taller man’s chest. Owen stilled for a moment before chuckling and hugging him back. “Someone missed me.” He teased lightly. “You have no idea how much I’ve missed you.” Curt responded without a hint of joking in his voice.

“It’s only been a couple of weeks since our last mission, Curt.” Owen reminded him. “But I’ve missed you too.” He added after a moment. They stood there for a full minute just holding on to each other. Owen pulled away first, not surprising as Curt was sure he wouldn’t have pulled back for at least an hour. “Well, I think we’d best get out of here, Old Boy. You’ve got the blueprints right?” 

Curt suddenly realized he wasn’t even sure what mission this was. “...Yeah...I think so…” He dragged the words out as he looked around for anything that could remind him of what they were doing here. His eyes landed on the body on the floor and he felt his blood run cold as he recognized the man as Oleg. He then saw Owen’s discarded hat and fake moustache on the floor near the body. With a sinking feeling in his stomach he recognized where they were, he knew it all too well. 

His husband died here.

Twice. 

“We need to go. Now.” His voice took on a commanding tone. Owen turned back to him with a raised eyebrow and an amused smirk. “That is what I just said Darli-” As much as Curt loved that nickname he didn’t let Owen finish, instead he grabbed his partners arm and proceeded to start dragging him out of the room.

“Whoa, okay. Curt. Slow down.” Owen tried to calm him. “We’re fine. We’ve got this. We always do.” Curt just kept tugging him along, keeping his eyes peeled for any enemy operatives. He stopped when they came upon the ladder, remembering the guard they’d run into. The one who had set off the alarm that had gotten them caught before they could escape. He pulled Owen back into a small alcove as the other went for the ladder. “What? I thought you wanted to get out of here?”

Curt held a finger to his lips and sure enough within a minute they could hear footsteps passing overhead. They waited in silence until the footsteps passed and then darted up the ladder. Owen gave him a curious look and was clearly about to ask how he had anticipated the guard when he was thankfully interrupted just in time. 

“Curt, do you read me?” A voice crackled through his watch. He raised his wrist towards his lips. “Hey Barb, how are you feeling?” He inquired with a slight note of hope to his voice. “Oh better than I have in years.” Curt grinned at the subtle inclination. Barb made it back too. “That’s great, I’m feeling the same. Are you ready for me to send over the blueprints?” He asked as he was already taking pictures and getting them set to send on his watch like Barb had taught him in the future. “Ready whenever you are.”

He sent them over just as his watch beeped that another call was coming through. “Got them!” Barb chirped happily. “Great. Gotta go Barb. I think Cynthia is calling. See you soon. And thanks….for everything.” He hung up just as he heard Barb respond. “Anytime.”

He was still smiling as he picked up the second call. “Mega! Where the hell are you? Quit your tom-fuckery and get me those nuclear weapon blueprints immediately!” Curt continued to lead Owen out as he spoke to his boss. “I’ve already gotten the digital copies to Barb, and the originals are on their way out with myself and Agent Carvour.” 

“Owen’s there with you?” She questioned. Owen leaned towards him to reply. “Hello Cynthia. Always lovely to hear your voice.” Curt rolled his eyes fondly at his partner, ever the charmer. “And it’s always lovely to hear my agent has someone to watch his back and keep him in line. You know, if you ever want to leave those stuff-shirted red coats you work for-” 

“Well, I believe they call that treason, my dear.”

“Our door is always open.”

Curt huffed out a laugh at the familiar dialogue. “Gotta go Cynthia. See you soon.” He exclaimed before hanging up the call. Owen gave him a look at his abruptness. “What, are you jealous? You know I’d never work for the Americans.”

“I’m not jealous at all. And if you could get it past your country I think you should take her offer. Our agency would certainly benefit from having you around.” Owen tilted his head curiously. “You wouldn’t be worried that I’d upstage you as the best spy in America?” Owen asked half-jokingly. Curt gave him a sincere smile. “I would gladly settle for being second best if it meant I got to spend every day with you.”

Owen smiled back at him with glittering eyes and leaned in to kiss him. Despite every inch of his being screaming in protest, Curt stopped him. “Not until we’re out of here.” Owen groaned at him but nodded as they began descending the stairs. “When did you become the professional one?” He heard his partner mutter under his breath.

Curt just chuckled and brushed the comment off as he peered around a corner. He quickly shot down two guards heading their way, Owen taking down a third. They were almost there, if Curt was remembering correctly, and he was sure that he was. After all running out of this facility had haunted many of his nightmares over the years. 

“You know there are a good few terrorists in this facility. I have some charges with me. Think we should take it down on the way out?” Curt froze and whirled around wildly to face him. “NO!” Owen flinched back just slightly from the volume and ferocity of Curt’s exclamation. Curt saw this and tried to reign himself in just a bit, despite the fear coiling tightly in his stomach. “I just mean...the mission is done. We don’t need to blow the place up. Let’s just get out of here.”

Owen stared at him for a moment with surprise and a brief flash of concern before nodding slowly. “Alright. It was just a suggestion. If you don’t think it’s a good idea then we’ll just go.” He stated in an almost placating tone. Curt normally would comment on it but he was too filled with relief to bother right now. “Thank you.”

They finished making their way out in silence, only needing to take down another two guards along the way. Curt isn’t sure fresh air has ever felt as good as it did the moment he stepped out of that facility, Owen right beside him. “We did it.” He couldn’t help but mumble, a smile gracing his face. 

“Yes we did.” He hears the voice to his left say, indicating his partner had heard him. “And now that we are out of there…” He hears Owen trail off and is about to ask what’s up when he is suddenly twirled toward his partner and a pair of warm lips crashed against his. 

If asked later he wouldn’t even deny that he absolutely melted as his husband kissed him for the first time in so long. It felt like bliss. It felt like coming home. He couldn’t have stopped himself from pulling Owen closer and enthusiastically returning the kiss if he had tried, not that he had. He whimpered just slightly as Owen pulled away a minute later, causing his partner’s retreating lips to quirk up into a smirk. 

Owen’s hands didn’t leave Curt’s waist as he spoke next. “So, I was thinking you should come back with me to my hotel room for a few hours. We can exchange information, make sure our mission reports line up properly, you know, like professionals do.”

“Mmmhm, we definitely should do that for profesionalism’s sake. Actually though, the hotel room my agency has put me and Barb up in is really cramped. If you have extra room, maybe I could just stay all night. Give us plenty of time to...write our reports. I am sure Barb would appreciate the extra space and wouldn’t it just be a wonderful way to show friendly cooperation between our ally agencies.”

“Well I am always willing to show the spirit of cooperation. I have plenty of room for you to stay with me. The bed is king sized.” Owen commented with a wink. “No, that’s fine. I can take the couch. I wouldn’t want t-” Owen growled slightly and pulled him back into a harder kiss, his tongue easily slipping into Curt’s mouth, still open from speaking. It’s another couple of minutes before they part again. “You were saying?” Owen asked as he pulled back with a gentle nip. “Wow.” 

Owen laughed as he finally unwrapped his arms from around Curt though he did reach down and slipped his right hand into Curt’s left. “Why thank you, darling. I think you are pretty ‘wow’ too.” He complimented as he led them towards his getaway car, as it was closer than Curt’s, and given that Curt was nearly at his car when he was captured, it may have been compromised anyway. Curt called Barb as they were putting their spare gear in the trunk.

“Barb, I’m going to be spending the night with Agent Carvour since we need to go over the mission details and because I told him how cramped our room is and he figured you would appreciate the extra space.” Curt informed her with a wink towards his partner who fondly rolled his eyes. “Well, thank you Agent Carvour. I do appreciate that.” Barb spoke happily. “Anytime, dear.” Owen replied as he got into the car.

Curt waited until Owen had shut the door before whispering into his watch. “Barb, you are the literal best and I owe you my life and I am absolutely naming my first born after you.” Barb laughed from the other end. “You don’t owe me anything Curt, I wanted to do this. I am just glad it worked. And I’m sorry that I cut it so close, I meant to give us more time before-” He cut her off. “Hey, close is not too late. It worked. You should be proud of yourself. You cracked fucking...well you know.” He finished lamely as the serum took effect and he was unable to speak of time travel, even to someone in the know. “You are incredible.” He assured her sincerely. “Thanks, Curt. You better get back to Owen now. See you soon!” 

Curt called “See you soon, Barb.” back and hung up as he climbed into the passenger seat. Owen waited until Curt had buckled himself securely before setting off towards their destination. Curt couldn’t help watching in the rearview mirror as the facility slowly faded into the distance. He let out a sigh and sunk into his seat as it disappeared from view. 

Most of the ride passed in comfortable silence and soon they were pulling up to a modest but nice hotel. Owen found a parking spot and hopped out before coming around to open Curt’s door for him. “Such a gentleman.” Curt quipped as he got out. “I try.” Owen shot back. Curt fought the urge to hold Owen’s hand as they walked in. 

They got the elevator to themselves and as soon as the doors slid closed Owen had him pressed up against the back wall, their lips fused again. He felt one of Owen’s hands come up to cup his cheek and tilted his head to lean into it. They were interrupted by the soft ding of the elevator and quickly sprang apart right before the doors slid open. There was no one waiting to get on so they would have been fine, but better safe than sorry. 

They didn’t stay apart long as Owen’s room was only a few doors down from the elevator and the moment they were inside they were kissing again. Their lips didn’t part as they made their way to the couch. Owen sat down on the end of the couch and gently tugged Curt into his lap. They stayed in that position for a good twenty minutes, just kissing, pulling back for breath only when needed. 

Curt was actually the one to pull back as his lover’s hands started slowly working their way under his shirt. “Something wrong, love?” Owen asked softly, giving him a curious look. “No, no, nothing is wrong. Just...you know I love this right?” He started, receiving a nod in return. “I should certainly hope so.” His husband added on to his nod. “I do.” He confirmed. “But...would it be okay if we just cuddled tonight? Please?”

Owen raised an eyebrow but gave him a loving smile and a chaste kiss against his slightly swollen lips. “Of course that would be okay. That would be amazing. I love cuddling my husband.” Curt grinned widely at Owen’s words as he hopped up off of him. “I’m going to go shower off real quick and then meet you in the bedroom. Sound good?” Curt nodded and gave Owen one more kiss before his partner walked off. 

He had to stop himself from following him and sitting in the bathroom with him. That would be weird. He couldn’t help not wanting to let Owen out of his sight right now though. Instead of following his husband to the bathroom he scanned the hotel room, checking out windows for any suspicious activity before locking them and closing the curtains. Looking in the closets for anyone hiding. Taking note of all the exits. Making sure the door was locked and latched. He ended up in the kitchen last and after his search sat down at the table. 

And that’s when he felt it. In his jacket pocket. He felt nauseous as he reached in and pulled out the banana. Still wrapped in that damn peel. Before he even realized what he was doing he had stormed over to the sink and shoved the banana down the garbage disposal and turned it on. As the disposal churned the offending fruit up he took the second object out of his jacket. He hesitated before pouring the contents of the flask down with the banana. 

He stared down into the whirling mess of liquid and mush as it slid away down the drain. “Um, Curt? Is everything alright?” He turned to see Owen standing in the doorway, hair damp, a towel wrapped around his waist, and a look of confused concern gracing his features. “Hmmm? Yeah. I’m fine. I just...the banana had a bug on it. And that alcohol was old so….um...how was your shower?” He finished by asking, changing the subject subtly. 

Owen gave him a look that told Curt he noticed the sudden shift but let it slide. “Fine. Until I got out and you weren’t there. Thought we were meeting in the bedroom?” Curt gave him a slightly sheepish smile. “Sorry, I was just checking the windows and locking the door.” Owen gave a hum of acknowledgement. “Good, then I don’t have to. The water pressure is nice if you want to have a quick shower yourself before bed. I’ll get pajamas ready for the both of us.” Curt nodded his agreement to that plan as he followed his lover through to the bedroom.

Curt doesn’t think he has ever taken a quicker shower in his life. Every moment spent without Owen in sight made him second guess this was real. He hoped that wore off soon. He hoped to be spending plenty of time with his husband but knew they couldn’t be together every second. He supposed he would have to cross that bridge when he came to it. For now, he scrubbed his body rapidly and rushed to get out to his love. 

Owen was waiting for him in the bed when he got out, the covers pulled down so Curt could still crawl in. His partner was wearing a silky looking pair of pajama pants but no shirt. Curt felt his lips quirk up at the sight. He grabbed his own pair of pajama pants off the pillow where Owen had laid them. Owen had left him a shirt too, just in case he wanted it he guessed, but he tossed it aside, following the British agent’s example. 

Once dressed he crawled into bed beside his partner who lifted the covers over both of them before turning off the bedside lamp that had been illuminating the room. Curt curled up against Owen’s chest, listening to the thump of his heartbeat through his warm skin. It was such a beautiful sound, better than any melody he’d ever heard. He couldn’t help but think about the fact that at this moment in the last timeline he had been desperately searching through burning rubble for the love of his life. A man he would never truly see again, he’d only see the shell Chimera created. The shell he would have to kill. 

“Curt? Are you crying?” Curt startled at Owen’s voice and reached a hand up to his own face where sure enough, there were tears falling down steadily. He hadn’t even realized. Owen watched this in the dim light the bathroom night light provided with concern. “What’s wrong, love?”

Curt shook his head and smiled at Owen. “I told you, I really missed you. I’m just feeling emotional right now. I love you so much.” He ended by leaning up to press a quick kiss to Owen’s lips, earning a soft smile from the man. “I love you more.” Owen quipped playfully. “Not possible.” Curt retorted. “So possible.” Curt went to refute this response as well only to be quieted with another soft kiss before his head was lowered back onto Owen’s chest. He let out a huff but decided to let his husband win this one...for now. 

As he slowly drifted off to sleep, the thumping of his love’s heart in his ear, all he could think was that this timeline was so much better than the last...and he was determined to keep it that way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for now. I hope to have the next one out sooner than this one took, I have a lot planned for this story. Let's just say it won't be all just smooth sailing of my favorite ship. If you enjoyed this chapter please leave a kudos or comment, they mean the absolute world to me and motivate me to keep going. I hope you have a wonderful day/night/whatever time it is for you!


	3. Explanations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some revelations come to light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been fighting me for so long. I wanted to add more but it just isn't working right now so sorry for the kind of odd end point. Hoping that the next chapter comes easier. And hope you enjoy!

Curt woke having slept better than he had in a long time.

He was disoriented for a minute, confused at the feeling of soft sheets and a large bed beneath him in contrast to the small twin bed and flannel sheets in his current safehouse. It takes him a moment before the events of yesterday come crashing back to him. A smile instantly spreads on his face.

He shifts over, eyes still closed, reaching for Owen. His eyes shot open when his hand met nothing but more of the silky sheets. He looked beside him and sure enough his partner was gone. He felt his breathing start to pick up as he scrambled to his feet. 

“Owen?” He called out hopefully, no response.

He checked the bathroom, the kitchen, the living area, everywhere. Searching and calling out for Owen over and over. No sign of his partner. This couldn’t be happening. He had just gotten him back. He couldn’t have lost him again already. He couldn’t take that. He could feel his breathing speeding up more and air seemed to be getting harder and harder to take in. He could feel warm tears slipping down his cheeks. He called out weakly for his partner one last time and sunk to the floor when he received no reply. 

He wasn’t sure how long he stayed on the floor like that before he heard the door opening. He instinctively but wobbly reached for his weapon. He heard a loud thump as something fell to the floor and then the next thing he knew, his husband was in front of him, gun at the ready, scanning the room for threats. 

“Curt! What happened? Are you hurt? Were you attacked? Are they still here? Do we need to leave? Are we compromised?” Curt ignored all of Owen’s questions and pulled him closer. “You were gone.” He whispered as he buried himself in Owen’s chest. Owen let out a sigh that sounded relieved and confused as he put his weapon away and hugged his husband. “I’m here Curt. I just went across the street to the market to get some things for breakfast. I left you a note on your nightstand. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Curt nodded in acknowledgement but didn’t speak as he just clung tightly to Owen. Owen picked him up and moved them both to the couch. He held Curt close and gently rocked him back and forth until his breathing regulated itself. Once Curt had calmed down Owen pulled back. Not entirely, he was still holding onto Curt’s waist loosely, but just enough that he could look Curt in the eyes. His expression was soft, concerned but dead serious. 

“Alright, love. You have been acting weird since we met up yesterday. I was willing to let it slide last night because I figured you would tell me when you are ready. But this? I can’t just let this go. So spill. Tell me what’s going on, darling.”

Curt froze for a minute straight before remembering they had something prepared for this. Something he was supposed to tell Owen anyway. He didn’t think it was going to go over easy though. “You’re going to be mad at me.” He warned. “Tell me anyway.” Owen insisted, causing Curt to sigh. 

“So for….a while now. I have been looking into this terrorist organization.” Owen nodded at his words. “Okay, why would I be mad about that? That’s your job. You kinda have to complete the missions you are assigned, it’s a pretty big part of being a spy.” Owen reasoned. Curt hesitated before continuing. “Cynthia doesn’t know Owen. Yet. I am going to tell her soo-” He is cut off by his partner. “You’re investigating a terrorist organization by yourself? With no backup? No one knows?” 

Curt nodded. “Curt! You can’t do that! You are going to get yourself killed!” Owen exclaimed. “I know, I know. It’s just…you know how Cynthia can get sometimes. I got a tip from someone about this group and I didn’t want to bother her with it until I was sure it was legit.” Owen took a deep breath, still clearly upset but trying to hear Curt out rationally. “And they are? Legit I mean.”

Curt nodded, letting his fear show some in his eyes. “They are a very real threat. I think they are the most dangerous organization I have ever come across. And one of the largest.” Curt admitted. “And you have been going up against them all on your own.” Curt hesitated. “I...well….I had Barb.” Owen huffed. “I respect the things Miss Lavernor is capable of but she is not a field agent, she can’t watch your back the same way.”

“I know. I….I’ve had someone else helping me too. Checking into it. A friend. A former Russian spy.” Owen gave him a sharp look. “You have had another spy helping you with this?” Curt nodded. “Well, former spy technically.” Owen nodded, his face contorted into an expression Curt couldn’t quite decipher. “So you told another spy about this, but you didn’t tell me.” 

Curt paused for a second taking in the words. “Owen, you know it’s not...not like….” Owen sighed. “I know you would never cheat on me Curt, I trust you completely. But I am your partner, professionally and personally. If you were going to ask a spy for help I guess I just thought I would be the first one you would come to.” 

Curt raised a hand and gently laid it on Owen’s cheek with a smile. “You would be. I trust you to have my back more than anyone else in this world. But you were...not available to contact when I started investigating and Tati is a close second. Besides, she is retired and didn’t have anything else going on. You have your own missions to deal with.” He pointed. “I would have made the time to help you.” Owen shot back. “I know you would have. I’m telling you now aren’t I?”

Owen sighed but nodded in acknowledgement. “You’re right. Sorry. I just don’t like the thought of you putting yourself in extra danger and me not knowing about it.” He confessed. “I understand that. Next time you will be the first to know, I promise.” Curt assured him. “Or there could just not be a next time for putting yourself in more danger.” Owen suggested to a nod from Curt. “Or that.”

“Okay, while I am glad I know about this now, I still am not getting what this has to do with you acting so odd.” Curt sighed at Owen’s words, fidgeting a bit. “Chimera...one of the things that they are doing is they are recruiting spies. Actually, recruiting is too kind of a word for it. They are kidnapping spies and turning them against their countries, their agencies, the world. They have a way of brainwashing people. Getting inside their heads and twisting everything until they will determinedly go against everything they once believed in. I...during my investigation of them I came face to face with a spy I used to know that they got to. He was a completely different man. I ended up having to shoot him....” Curt trailed off, lost in memory for a moment, slightly paler than usual as a visible shiver racked his body.

Owen gave him a gentle squeeze of comfort. “I am sorry to hear that, love. That must have been awful. No wonder you are acting a bit off.” Curt shook his head at Owen’s words. “That’s not it. Barb and I….we managed to get our hands on a list of spies they intend to recruit this way. Your name is on that list, O.”

There was silence for a minute as the British agent took that information in. “That’s why you were so eager to get us out of that compound last night and why you had a panic attack when I was gone this morning.” Owen surmised. Curt nodded solemnly. “I have no idea how close Chimera is to you Owen, all I know is I can’t let them get to you. I only found out about you being on the list yesterday when I had already started the compound mission, I was going to call you as soon as I got through with it. I got lucky that you were assigned to the same mission. I was so relieved to see you there. So relieved I wasn’t too late, that they hadn’t already gotten you.”

Owen must have been able to sense just how distressed he was as he pulled Curt closer and started rubbing soothing circles into his back. “Hey, they’re not going to get me Curt. I am one of the two best spies in the world and I have the other best spy in the world watching my back. I’ll be okay, we’ll figure this out together.”

Curt nodded and looked up at Owen with slightly glassy eyes. “I just….I can’t lose you.” The words came out slightly shaky, broken, full of emotion. “You won’t.” Curt tried to take comfort in how sure his partner sounded. His lips pulled up into a slight smile as Owen decided to emphasize his declaration with a short, soft kiss to Curt’s lips. “I love you.” Owen whispered as he pulled back. “I love you too.” The response was automatic but sincere. 

They sat in silence for several minutes, just holding on to each other. Curt was clinging to Owen almost like a lifeline, it was almost if talking about Chimera brought back just how real they were and what they could do, had done. “Hey, it’s going to be okay Curt. You need to relax. I have never seen you so scared before.” Curt sniffled a bit at the words. “I just keep thinking what if they get to you? What if they turn you? What if I end up the one that has to fight you? Put you in jail? Kil-” He cuts himself off. He can’t say it. “That will never happen Curt. I don’t care how good their brainwashing techniques are. Nothing and no one in this world could turn me against you.” Curt lets out a short wry chuckle at his husband’s declaration. 

He wishes he could believe that.

They stay on the couch, just holding each other for a while before getting up to make breakfast. Thankfully only two out of the dozen eggs cracked when Owen had dropped his bags on kthe floor upon seeing Curt. They cook together, Owen chopping up the ingredients and Curt turning them into omelettes. There is silence as they do this but it is not uncomfortable. 

When they are sitting at the table eating, the subject of Chimera comes up again.

“So what do you plan to do about them?” Owen asked him, curious.  
“They have to be taken down. No matter what it takes. they are just too dangerous.” Curt replied, determination clear in his voice. Owen nodded. "Well let me know if there is anything I can do to help. I wish I could be right by your side the whole time." 

Curt wasn't going to get a better opening than this. "What if you could?" Owen looked at him with curiosity. "Do you think you could convince your boss to lend you to America to help take down Chimera?" Owen looked unsure so Curt continued on.

"He gets to say England played a part in taking down an international terrorist organization. He won't have to pay for your room and board because I know someone who will feed you and let you stay with him. And I am sure Cynthia would lend him a couple agents in exchange." 

"And it would make you feel better to have me where you can keep and eye on me." Owen guessed easily. Curt nodded, not at all embarrassed at being figured out. "It would." Owen smiled at him. "Alright. I'll ask. No promises though." Curt smiled widely back. "Thank you."

Curt privately thought that if Owen's boss didn't agree he would just have to kidnap his husband. He was fine with that. 

It wasn't until Owen burst out into laughter that Curt realized he has spoken aloud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all for now. Thanks so much for reading! If you enjoyed please leave a comment, the mean the word to me and motivate me to write more. Hope you are all doing great!

**Author's Note:**

> That's it for the first chapter. I hope to have more of this out very soon. If you liked it please leave me a kudos or comment below as they really motivate me to write and mean the world to me. Thanks for reading and have a great day/night/whatever time it is for you!


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